Vibration damping device



Nov. 3, 1931. A. F. FnFlELD VIBRATION DAMPING DEVICE Filed May 2'7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES ALBET FRANK FIFIELD, F ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO, GANAIDA' VBBATION DANI-IN G DEVIE Application med Hay 27,

This invention relates to vibration dampers 'for rotating shafts, and relates particularly to vibration dampers adaptable for use in connect-ion with hydro-carbon motors. Q One of the objects of the invention is to provide a 'vibration damping device of simple and practical construction and in which the wearing parts may be easily removed and replaced.

Another object of my invention is to rovide a vibrat1on damping device in w ich provision is had for the preventing of objectionable noises incidental to the rotation of the shaft equipped with said vibration damping device.

Another object of my invention is to provide a vibrat1on damping device of such a character that wear occurring in use between relatively movable parts will be continuously automatmally compensated for and without any appreciable loss in eiciency.

Other objects of my invention and the inventionr itself will become apparent by reference to the accompanyin drawings illustrating certain specific em odiments thereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates, in' sectional view, an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a section of one of thev friction rings illustrated in the embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates a sectional view of a portion of another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of onehalf of the device -shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to the di'erent figures of drawings, and first, particularly to the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2,.at 1, I show a crankshaft of a hydro-carbon motor, referably of the multi-cylinder type. The vibration damper illustrated hereln is mounted upon, and preferably entirely supported by,

the crankshaft and comprises, in the present embodiment, a heavy metallic ring 2 whichA may be called the liywheell part of the damper, andY which, as illustrated, is telescoped over the end of theshaft 1 but held out vof direct contact therewith by a pair of sup-l -shaft l, there being a cylindrical clearance 1927. Serial No. 194,825.

porting disks 3 and 4 having supporting hubsv 17 and 18 and having friction ring portions 5 and 6, respectively, each engaging by avpair 0f friction lining strips 7 with inclined surface portions 8 and 9, respectively, oit' the flywheel 2. The disks 3 and l are, as illustrated, rigidly secured to the shaftl having keys 10 locking them to the shaft to prevent relative rotation between the disk 3 and the crankshaft. i

The flywheel 2 is at all times supported with the inner walls of its axial b'ore 23 out of contact with the outer surface of the crankspace 20 at all times between the ywheel and c6 the crank shaft. The same is true for the bores 21 of the ring portions 5 and 6 whereby a clearance space 21 is rovided between the shaft and the inner wa ls of `the bores 21. f'

The ring portions 5 and; 6 are spring pressed against the inclined surfaces 8 and 9 of the annular grooves 11 on the outer side of the flywheel by means of a nut 13, engaging the disk4. B removing the nut 13 which is screw-threa ed at 12 onto the crankshaft, the flywheel 2 and disk 4 may be axially removed from the shaft and access is had to the friction rings for purposes of repair and attention to the friction elements therefor or for other purposes, as required. The nut 13 likewise afords a ready means of securing the parts in their operative positions in assemling the device on theshaft.

Frictional i elements comprising friction facing stripls 7 for the inclined surfaces 15 and 16 of t e rings 5 and 6, respectively, are held on to the rings in any suitable manner, such as by headed copper ins, at 22, which are adapted to be inserted t rough the linin strips 7, at intervals longitudinally 'thereo and into prepared recesses into which the ends of the pms are adapted to make a driving. fit. The axis of the recesses is preferably disposed normal to the' inclination of the faces 15and16. j A, The disk 3 -is preferably adapted fto rotate the iywheel 2 and effects, through the frictional contact had with the flywheel 2, a frictional driving connection therefon In the embodiment of Fig. 1,jthe iywheel makes 10 alsv frictional contact with the rings 5 and 6 which are ressed against the flywheel by the effect o springs 19, whereby a frictional driving connection is had between the rings 5 and 6, and the iiywheel. rIhese springs are compressed between the end walls 26 and 27 of aligned recesses 28 and 29 in the rings 5 and `6 and the disks 3 and 4 respectively. Pins 30 having a countersunk head 31 are inserted into bores 32 and 33 respectively of the rings and disks to provide a driving connection for the. disks and rings.

The operation of my improved vibration damping device will be readily understood by reference to Letters Patent No. 1,085,443, dated Jan. 27, 1914, to Lanciiester, and which contains a description of the principle in volved in the damping of certain forms of v1- bration in the running of high-speed multicylinder engines, and which principle is involved generically in the device of the present invention.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the structure is substantially the same except 'that in the embodiment of Fig. 3, but a single disk 3 is rigidly and nonrotatably secured, at its hub portieri 17', by a key 10 to the shaft 1 and provides a support for the flywheel 2. The disk 3 is formed with an. annular peripheral flange 40, to the end wall 41 of which is secured by screws 42, a ring or disk 4 corresponding to the disk 4 of the embodiment of Fig. 1. 'Ihe fiywheel is disposed in the 'recess 45 formed by the peripheral fiange and the hub. The friction rings for each of these disks, as illustrated at 5' and 6', are supported on a plurality of integral or rigidlysecured laterally projecting stems 46 which fit snugly' `within transverse tubular openings 47 extending through the disks 3 and 4', these being sultably spaced lat intervals so as to support the rings 5 and 6 uniformly throughout its length. A compression spring 19 is telescoped over each of the stems 46 and partly recessed in an enlarged portion of the tubular openings or passages 49 of the disk 4', the springs 19 being compressed against the s oulder 50 at the end wall-of the enlarged bore portion and the rear face 51 of the friction rings 5' and 6 in each case. In this embodiment, the fiywheel 2 is supported out of contact with the crankshaft l', in the manner of the flywheel 2 of Fig. 1. The-rings 5' and 6' are resiliently pressed from the disks 3' and 4', which rotate with the crankshaft and both exert opposing pressures upon their respective rings to spring-press them into driving frictional contact, by their inclined surfaces 7' with the inclined annular walls 8' and 9' of the opposite iiywheel faces. Thev inclined friction surfaces of the iiywheel, in the embodiments so far described. are formed by grooving at 11 the opposite faces of the flywheel. A nut 13' is threaded at 12' to the shaft to hold the disk 3 againstA relative longitudinal movement on the shaft and to facilitate removal therefrom when desired.

In Fig. l, I have shown, at X dotted lines placed on the drawing of Fig. 1, in order to illustrate further modifications of my 1nvention which might be in some cases advantageouslyemployed. Thesemodifications, which herein we will term as modification A and modification B, comprise, in modification A, the omission of all parts of the flywheel 2 between the lines X, and in modification B, the omission lof all parts of the flywheel outside the lines X. In both of these modifications, it will be understood that the flywheel will be sufficiently weighted by increasing its thickness, if necessary, to secure the desired inertia effect required to properly dampen the torsional vibrations of the shaft upon which the vibration damping device of such modification may be placed.

Fig. l, in the first embodiment, is to be taken without any consideration being given the lines X.

Referring to Fig. 5, I show a fragment of' a. crankshaft 1" upon which is mounted another embodiment of my invention, preferably comprising a disk 53 having a hub portion 54, non-rotatably secured to the shaft 1" by a key 55. The disk is provided with an annular flange 56 having inclined walls 57 and 58, with an anti-frictional facing or lining 59 disposed on these inclined walls. The fiange 56 is projected into an annular recess 60 in the adjacent side wall 61 of the iywheel. p The walls of the recess are inclined inwardly towards each other at 62 and 63 toprovide a frictional driving connection between the disk 53 and the fiywheel 2".

A shoulder 64 is formed in the shaft by reducing'the same, which reduced portion is threaded at 65. A nut 66 is threaded onto the shaft and is provided with an annular recess 67 formed by an annular peripheral Harige 68. A compression spring 691 is cornpressedy between the recess 67 and an annular groove 70 in the side wall of the flywheel and is adapted toretain the iywheel and disk -in that numerous and extensive departuresmay be made from the embodiments and sol-called modlfications herein illustrated and described aeaaeoo but without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a vibration dam er, the combination with a rotatable shaft, o a flywheel therefor, a pair of clutch elements in driving relation to the shaft and making frictional contact with th flywheel on annular portions thereofto frictionally drive the same, said wheel being supported coaxially with .t e

shaft andout of contact therewith by said.y

clutch element, said flywheel having a\pair of oppositely disposed lateral annular grooves each -with divergent annular walls, and the clutch elements making a wedging driving frictional engagement with the surfaces of said divergent walls of the flywheel.

2. In a vibration damener, the combination with an engine cran shaft, of a flywheel therefore comprising a heavy annulus rovided wit-h an axial bore, said shaft exten ing axially through the bore of the annulus, a pair of annular clutch elements driven by the shaft disposed at the two op osite lateral sides of the flywheel, each of t e clutch elements being non-rotatable relative to the shaft and rotatable therewith, and having a lateral annular surface makmg frictional pressure engagement with opposite lateral surfaces of the flywheel, at least one of the surfaces in contact beinginclined to the plane of rotation of the flywheel, to entirely wedgingly supportl the ywheel annulus on the clutch elements free of other engagement therewith and with said shaft.

3. In a vibration dampener, the combination with an engine crankshaft, of a flywheel therefor comprising a heavy annulus provided with an axial'bore, said shaft extending axially through the bore of the annulus, a

` pair of annular clutch elements driven by the shaft disposed at the two opposite lateral sides of the flywheel, each of the clutch elements being non-rotatable relative to the shaft and rotatable therewith, and having a lateral annular surface making frictional engagement with a lateral surface of the flywheel inclined to the plane of rotation of the flywheel,

means supporting the clutch elements, said means rigidly secured to-'the shaft and having portions projecting radially therefrom, and dis osed adjacent the outer lateral surfaces o the clutch elements, and means resiliently compressed between the clutch elements and the said yprojecting portions to maintain the clutch elements in pressure frictional contact .with the contacted surfaces of the flywheel, the wall of the annulus bore'being maintained out of contact with any rotary -part of said clutch element supporting means and ,ofsaid shaft. l

4. In a vibration dampener for suppressing torsional vibrations of engine crankshafts, a ywheel in the form of lan annulus tolescoped over the shaft and co-axially disposed relative thereto, a pair of annuluses disposed at opposite sides of the flywheel, means carried by the shaft comprisin radially extending project-ing portions a apted to support sa1d annuluses and hold them against rotation relative to the shaft, and means associated with said annuluses and projecting portions comprising compression springs exerting continual constant pressure to press the annuluses inwardly against the flywheel to make frictional driving contact therewith,

said flywheel having its central bore of such a size as to provide clearance with said shaft and said annulus supporting means.

'5. In a vibration dampener for suppressing torsional vibrations of engine crankshafts, a flywheel in the form of an annulus telescoped over the shaft and co-axially disposed relative thereto, a pair of annuluses disposed at opposite sides /of the flywheel, means carrie by the shaft comprisin extending projecting portions a a ted t0 support ysald annuluses and hol them against rotation relative to the shaft, and means associated with said annuluses and projecting portions comprising compression springs exerting continual |constant pressure to press the annuluses inwardly against the Vflywheel to make frictional driving Contact therewith, said flywheel having its central bore of such a size as to provide clearance with said shaft and said annulus supporting means said annuluses being of frustro-conical form in all transverse sections, and said ywheel omprising annular grooves into which said rustro-conical portions of the clutch elements are received.

6. In a vibration dampener for su pressing torsional vibrations of engine cran shafts, a Hywheel in the form of an annulus telescoped over the shaft and co-axially dis osed rela.- tive thereto, a pair of annuluses isposed'- at opposite sides of the flywheel, means carried by the shaft comprising rad1ally extending projecting portions adapted to support said annuluses, and hold them against rotation relative to the shaft, and means associated with said annuluses and projecting portions comprising compression springs exerting continual'constant pressure to press the arrradially v.. au)

ical portiznsof the lclutch elements are rev l ceived` said groovesin transverse section being substantially frustro-conical in form.

In testimony-whereof I hereunto allix my signature this 25th day of April, 1927.

'ALBERT FRANK FIFIELD. 

